


Working Cure

by flinchflower



Series: Slash Me Twice [78]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Discipline, Hunting, M/M, The cure for boredom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-22
Updated: 2013-10-22
Packaged: 2017-12-30 03:14:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flinchflower/pseuds/flinchflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt 78: Cure.   The hunt is finally taking shape, and the Winchesters get a move on it.  A quiet sort of fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Working Cure

**Author's Note:**

> Copyright notice: I hold the copyright for Mistress Tess & Tessera, original characters, and multiple storylines associated with her. Someday (hopefully sooner than later) you'll see her in a series of novels, I ask that at this time others refrain from use of the character without express permission. She is allowed to play in fanfic, I just request that I know about it. Frankly, I hesitate to post any of the fics with her in them, it's always a struggle... but... here we are.
> 
> Disclaimer: Not for profit, simply a writing exercise. Herein lies Dean/Sam slash, in an AU timeline where John did not lose his life. John appears in parental context only. Follows in series from previous prompts, but stands alone if preferred.

Dean’s excited, trying hard to hide it in focusing on the information they’re all parked at the table going over. He’s fidgeting some, but he knows he can get away with it, knows that John’s just going to figure he’s still hurting from the spanking – can you even call something that hard a spanking, he thinks, and then blushes a little, because yeah, he’s spanked Sam that hard before, and likely will again-

“Dean. Are you paying attention?”

“The object we’re looking for is likely a sword, it’s the only altar item we didn’t consider, since we found an athame, and it’s likely coated in the same poison the other objects were, which would explain the death in the house, and it might be spelled, which would explain the haunting that they’re experiencing, Tess is going to network to find out more about the owner, Sam’s looking through archives of the owner’s work and trying to see if he can find the journals the guy kept, and you and I are going to look for sign at the site, or rather, you’re going to look, and I’m going to keep my ears open and cover your back.” He looks expectantly at his father and twitches again.

“Ok then.” John’s satisfied with that, even if he knows damn well the kid’s mind was wandering. But he does need Dean to focus, know he’s not going to have his brain out in the clouds. “I want to get your notes from the last hunt for me, so I can look them over.”

“They’re in the car. I’ve started a new notebook since then.” He waits for permission to go retrieve it, it’ll give him a chance to go reassure the Impala that she’s just waiting on some parts.

It’s John’s turn to get lost in thought. Dean’s mention of his notebooks derailed him – there’s three or four of them down in the car, and one in the kid’s bag. Between the three of them, there’s probably twelve books worth down there or more. He still uses his leather bound journal, carefully binds the pages once he thinks he’s got the information all in his head and stores them in a waterproof box. He started the boys out with spiral notebooks, which are down in the car too, and Sam migrated to something like John’s, a three ring binder with aluminum covers, of a size to take a computer printout, something John’s never put in his own.

And then there’s Dean. If he didn’t know for damn sure that Dean was focused on and interested in the hunting, he wonder, because the next book Dean bought after the spiral notebook was a school composition book, with wide ruled pages, and he won’t use anything else. They’re battered and worn, but John knows there’s good information between the covers.

“Yeah, Dean, go. Right back, though, I don’t want to spend much time on this before we head over there.”

Dean hasn’t asked yet about the travel arrangements, and John’s a little afraid. Though the boy has to know that the Impala’s not going anywhere, not for a week at least, until Bobby gets his hands on the parts, and then there’ll be the time working on her. Right now he just wants to check over Dean’s journal, and then they’re ready to roll, he prepped the weapons yesterday with Dean, while Sam logged some additional hours sleeping. John wonders if Sam’s not as comfortable with camping as he says.

“Dad.”

“What is it, Sammy?”

“Where is this place?”

“About ten miles out of town.” Interesting. Sam’s asking about the transportation. “Tess said a friend is coming by, will take us out there, watch our back.” He says it a little wryly, and Sam’s face mirrors his own. They watch their own backs. 

They sit in silence, and the door opens. They’re both expecting Dean, but Tess comes in the door, and – damn. That’s Mathieu behind her.

“Matty!” John stands up to clap hands with the big man, and Sam grins at the older man. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

“Came down when TEss started having trouble – she let me know what was going on, and I thought I could help.”

“HAH!” Sam’s exclaimation is loud, and has Mathieu and Tess frowning at him, and John raising an eyebrow. “Sorry,” he says, catching the looks, “I told Dad I thought there was a santero involved, but he wanted to focus on the Wicca angle.” He’s tense for a moment until the faces relax.

“Mathieu?”

“He’s right, John.”

And then Dean bounds into the room, talking a mile a minute. It takes a second before he realizes what’s going on, and he literally pales, skidding to a stop just out of Mathieu’s reach. John eyeballs the distance and mentally praises him for the accurate assessment, though he could grab the kid himself if he wanted to.

“Try it again, slower,” Mathieu says, folding his arms across his chest.

Dean breaks into his trademark grin. “Found the reference Dad thought he wanted, there’s a better one.” John waits, patience wearing thin.

“This here, this sounds like one of the rituals Mathieu taught us about.” Sam laughs, and Dean turns an eye on him, gets a headshake from the younger boy.

“Mathieu was just saying.” 

“Good,” comes the reply. “Let’s get going then, Dad.”

Mathieu takes a good look at Sam, assessing, weighing. “In a minute, Dean. I’m going out there with you,” he says, glad to get a definitive nod from both Winchesters. “Samuel. You’re to lay down the books for now, go help Tess out for the afternoon. Don’t touch it until after tea-time.”

Sam struggles for a minute, then turns to Tess with a tone that’s only a little forced. “Yes, ma’am.” It’s all he can get away with, he knows, giving his answer to Tess instead of Mathieu.

John simply piles his son and old friend out of the room before there’s a chance for the explosion, and Tess smiles.

“Dean’s looking more chipper.”

Sam rolls his eyes. “Dad doesn’t understand, I think. The only cure for what’s wrong with Dean is a hunt.”

“Criticizing me for punishing him?”

“No,” he replies calmly. “That was Dad’s choice. And I could do without the pestering in the car sometimes.”

She’s satisfied with the answer. “Dean needs to be busier than he has – no, don’t get on with the regret my boy. Besides, time with Matty will do your father good as well. You, my boy, are going to come relax with me.”


End file.
